OPINION: After Paris – “Going from intended to implemented, that is the question” says Margaret Kamau, Kenya

Kenya aims to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions by 30% by 2030 relative to Business As Usual. This goal is subject to international support in the form of finance, investment, technology development and transfer, and capacity building. Margaret Kamau, CDKN´s Country Engagement and Project Manager talks to Miren Gutiérrez about what this target means for her country. This is part of a CDKN series on implementing the Paris Agreement: read more at www.cdkn.org/after-paris-perspectives

 

The Paris Agreement created an ambitious mandate for the global community. Does it change the national conversation in Kenya about action on climate change? If so, how?

Well before, for much of 2015, there has been quite a momentum in Kenya around preparations for COP21[Editor: 21^st Conference of the Parties for the UNFCCC], the INDCs [Climate plans which countries submitted to the conference] and the Paris Agreement. A number of stakeholders were quite involved in the ‘road to COP’ process. I think that this kind of momentum has carried on in 2016.

From meetings that we had this February and March, we can tell there is a bit of uncertainty about “what next” with regards to the Paris Agreement. But the Government of Kenya is taking steps to clarify this. For example, in mid-February there was a meeting on the post-Paris situation with a wide range of civil society organisations and other stakeholders, where the government was able to explain what the next steps were and what the COP21 meant.

In two weeks, there is another stakeholder consultation session, now addressed towards developing the next steps after Paris. Now we are waiting to hear what the government has planned and what they need support for. I know they are also looking at the implications for Kenya’s growth and sustainable development. So I think the main influence COP21 has had is creating momentum before, during and after the event.

UN Secretary General Ban Ki Moon visits a geothermal power facility in Kenya; courtesy UNEP.

Are these consultations with civil society and stakeholders binding in any way, has the government been gathering their feedback, or are they just informative?

They have been mainly for information purposes, not to get feedback or to pass clear information on what the next steps are. But I believe the intention of the government is that the next meeting is to be more action oriented. Kenya’s civil society has challenged the government to take action to implementing the agreement. But not openly in the media.

As for coverage, media articles and news stories on climate change tended to be published before and during COP21, with different sectoral approaches. Since the Paris conference, we haven’t seen as much. Although that is not necessarily negative…

Kenya indeed submitted an ‘Intended Nationally Determined Contribution’ (INDC). What will it take to get from ‘intended’ to ‘implemented’? What are the big opportunities and challenges?

That is the question. In terms of implementation, we believe the next step the government should take is to lay out the key priority actions in the climate action plan, and take them forward. There is the realisation that the actions contained in the INDC have been ongoing actions. So it is about accelerating investment to support implementation in those areas.

The big opportunities are first at a sectoral level. The energy sector, the forestry sector, the transport sector have all seen significant growth in the last few years. So those would be quick wins: sectors where there has been ongoing work.

In the energy sector, for example, there is already significant investment [in low carbon energy], but there is room for more. The next steps would be: identifying the actions, the key people and institutions to take those actions and accessing the finance required.

Another opportunity would be leveraging the momentum that the Paris Agreement has created to make sure that all stakeholders are aware of it, and employing this ongoing interest and buy-in for activities.

Finance presents both an opportunity and a challenge. We have different financing opportunities, such as Nationally Appropriate Mitigation Actions (NAMAs) and the Green Climate Fund (GCF), which may be accessed to implement the country’s NDC. A Kenyan entity has just been accredited as the National Management Authority to access direct funding from the GCF. These are opportunities that the government is already taking.

NAMAs are being developed for the bus rapid transit system, another one for a grid of renewable energy and waste management. A geothermal NAMA was developed and is explored in CDKN’s Inside Story on Climate Compatible Development.

In addition, there is bilateral and multilateral funding: the governments of the UK and Japan and institutions such as the World Bank are funding elements of the NDC as well.

In the finance arena, the Government of Kenya has faced hurdles in producing investment plans and proposals that actually attract funding. Here, some investment may be needed in enhancing capacity for proposal development. A current CDKN project is supporting the government to write an adaptation proposal for the GCF. We are responding to a direct government request to help them fill a gap.

Other challenges include coordination. Over the past years, I think the government has improved its coordinated approach towards climate change and development. This has been particularly evident recently during the INDC process. But coordination across government remains a challenge which they continue to address.

Skyline of Nairobi, Kenya’s capital; courtesy Jonathan Stonehouse

The Paris Agreement calls for limiting average global temperature rise well below 2C, as close to 1.5C as possible. Kenya’s emissions are not huge, but they are growing fast – what hope to see economic growth and human development with lowered emissions in the specific case of Kenya?  

Using the energy sector is a good example. We have seen a significant increase in investments in the renewable energy sector, particularly in geothermal and wind power. About 50% of Kenya´s electricity[1] comes from renewable sources, and this is a number that is increasing on a daily basis. We think that this it is not actually hampering economic growth, because before geothermal power became the focus, hydroelectric power was being produced from dams. Obviously, that meant that during the power crisis electricity was quite erratic because of the reliance on hydropower [Editor: linked to reduced rainfall and river levels – the CDKN Inside Story explains further]. So the focus on this new generation of renewables is actually supporting growth because it is a more reliable source of power and businesses now have more reliable sources of power.

In agriculture, initiatives such as the one led by COMESA (Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa) to reduce agricultural emissions across Kenya and several other African countries will help combat climate change while addressing food security, from the policy level to the farm level.

We have seen initiatives and interventions to improve forest cover and to improve forest conservation resulting in a better environment for people and the communities living around forests. And this translates to improved human development and better economic growth. So far it has not limited economic growth either.

This will continue being a trend for the next couple of years. We still have untapped solar and wind resources. We are expected to have a large 300 megawatt solar farm in the next few years, which will only reduce our reliance on fossil fuels and promote economic growth.

Technology hub, Kenya; courtesy UNDP.

If you check most INDCs from developing countries their emission reduction targets are subject to technology development, international climate finance and capacity building. What would happen if these ‘means of implementation’ do not flow? 

Countries like Kenya have taken some steps towards building internal capacity and using domestic financial national resources to put in place climate change initiatives. This is evident in some government-enabled food security projects, as well as in the setting up of research institutions, industrial research institutions, with technology development. If the means are not put forward, it is not to say that countries such as Kenya will not take action anyway. But the view is that action will be slower because obviously there are other pressing needs that the domestic budget needs to serve. It won’t be a large allocation for a long time, so this will slow the process in achieving sustainable development.

Why are some countries more successful than others in attracting international resources to support climate compatible development? Does their ability to negotiate have anything to do with it? How would you rate Kenya´s performance so far?

Definitely the ability of a country to negotiate in the international arena plays a huge role in attracting climate finance. But also, one thing that stands out looking at these countries have taken initiatives on their own. Brazil, Mexico and Morocco may have allocated domestic resources towards climate change initiatives. And this can help make a case before they go and negotiate climate finance. I believe part of making the case is showing what you can do with our own resources. I think that these have been countries that have been successful in doing this, and when they go to international arena they are not just asking for money. They are saying: this is what we have done and now we need more money to grow this pilot initiate.

Finally, Kenya not very well known for its negotiation power, but I think being part of the African Group of Negotiators has helped Kenya and fellow African countries to try to negotiate collectively. But [its influence] could be improved with further international support.

The SDGs have many climate-related components, as well as a dedicated climate goal. What are some of the ways that the SDGs will influence the planning and practice of development in Kenya in the coming years?

There has not been a lot of communication on the SDGs locally, since the New York summit last September. CDKN helped convene an SDG dialogue process in 2014 – to provide a platform for Kenyan voices in developing the goals. And what came out of this process is that Kenya would need more integrated planning, not just for key economic sectors, making integrated planning a habit if the SDGs are to be achieved. Kenya is also in the process of writing up a green economy strategy, which looks at how to maintain sustainable development while growing the economy.

 

Image: Kenya, courtesy DFID.

[1] Kenya is looking to geothermal energy to power its growth and reduce reliance on imports. As of 2015, geothermal accounted for 51% percent of Kenya’s energy mix (up from only 13% in 2010). Kenya´s also investing on wind, with Africa’s largest wind farm (310 MW) set to provide another 20% of the country´s installed electricity generating capacity. Those two combined will help Kenya generate 71% of its electricity with renewables in the future, according to CleanTechnica.

by: CDKN Global, Miren Gutierrez, Margaret Kamau | on: 12pm, March 27, 2016

OPINION: After Paris – “Pakistan has a long way to go to get from intended to implemented” – Ali T. Sheikh

With melting glaciers of the Himalayas threatening the flows of many of its most important rivers, Pakistan has a lot at stake from climate change. The climate in Pakistan has become unpredictable. Furthermore, this country contributes less than 1% to global greenhouse gas emissions. Ali Tauqeer Sheikh, CDKN´s Asia Director, examines the challenges and prospects opened up by the Paris Agreement in Pakistan – in conversation with Miren Gutierrez. Read more from this series in After Paris – Perspectives from developing countries.

The Paris Agreement created an ambitious mandate for the global community. Does it change the national conversation in Pakistan about action on climate change? If so, how?

The Paris agreement has indeed changed both political and technical discourse in Pakistan. Newspaper articles and TV programmes have covered the climate change issue more frequently than previously. The opposition parties, particularly PTI (Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf) led by Imran Khan, has frequently questioned the lacklustre performance of the federal and Punjab governments when it comes to the environment. The federal government is now actively pursuing new policies for the forests, water and energy sectors. Climate change issues are more frequently discussed in Parliament too. In particular, increasing forest cover has become a popular issue and has generated healthy competition. To match the popularity of PTI’s Billion Tree Afforestation Project in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, the federal government launched the ‘Green Pakistan Programme’ in March 2016, whereby over 100 million trees are to be planted. Likewise, the planned coal power projects face growing opposition. This conversation revolves around using the latest and most efficient clean coal technologies, while also focusing on options such as renewables, hydropower and nuclear.

Moreover, civil society is asking for more public expenditure on climate and disaster resilience. The government has recently promised to spend Rs177.61 billion (about US$1.67 billion) on different structured and non-structured measures to implement a 10-year flood protection plan to save lives and property.

These are positive signals; however, the responses do not follow a coherent policy. I think, if prepared well, Pakistan’s INDC (Intended Nationally Determined Contribution) can help the government to deliver coordinated actions on climate change.

What will it take to get from ‘intended’ to ‘implemented’? What are the big opportunities and challenges?

The INDC submitted by Pakistan was considered the most silent of the INDC submissions, and it had neither quantified mitigation targets nor an adaptation plan. No clear pathways were outlined with regard to the reduction of carbon emissions or building resilience of people or infrastructure. The government’s excuse for submitting a one-page document was that they had an outdated baseline on which to work.

In addition to this reported reason, Pakistan wanted to account for its mega development plans under CPEC (China Pakistan Economic Corridor)[1] before it commits something to the world community. Now there is more clarity to the government on CPEC and the new greenhouse gas emissions inventory is almost complete. I think this should allow the government to re-package its INDC to be backed up with current data.

Pakistan´s INDC has a long way to go to get from intended to implemented. The one-page INDC document submitted by Pakistan does not provide any quantifiable information or clear direction that the country is to take for implementation.  The main challenge for Pakistan is to identify and calculate greenhouse gas emissions, peak emissions levels and future projections. This is the first step that must be taken before a clear path can be set for implementation.

Pakistan is among the few countries in the world where courts are taking an active interest in ensuring that the government delivers on climate change. Last year, the Punjab High Court ordered the government to fulfil their duty for both reducing greenhouse gas emissions and also the adaptation from climate change risks. The judicial activism has fast-tracked the implementation of the government action plan to deliver its National Climate Change Policy (2012).

Pakistan committed to reduce its emissions after reaching peak levels to the extent possible subject to affordability, provision of international climate finance, transfer of technology and capacity building. This sounds a bit indeterminate. How do you see this evolving?

The commitment to reduce emissions after reaching peak levels is, as mentioned above, not based on concrete data and calculations.  This commitment will evolve with efforts to calculate and project peak emissions as the first step.  However, Pakistan’s focus on developing and utilising indigenous coal resources to fuel growth that will likely result in an increase in future emissions is a hindrance to the government committing to emissions reductions.

If you check most INDCs from developing countries their emission reduction targets are subject to technology development, international climate finance and capacity building. What would happen if the means of implementation does not flow?

Indeed, many developing countries followed targets of a business-as-usual reduction type, with a majority of them having conditional targets. According to a recent LEAD study, the average of conditional targeting in Asia is around 8%, which means significant investment is needed to flow from developed countries to developing countries. Since Pakistan, so far, hasn’t provided any quantified target, it is difficult to assess what exactly would be the requirement for emission reduction. Moreover, Pakistan has not specified its climate finance and technology requirements, most countries have provided detailed needs.  For example, India has a climate finance requirement of US$ 1040 billion, 80% of which is for mitigation.

Overall, Pakistan’s Vison 2025 document is a good starting point and provides some guidance to reduce greenhouse gas emissions particularly in the energy sector which constitute about 51% of the total greenhouse gas emissions. According to our assessments, the government requires about US$ 30 billion to achieve Vision 2025 energy targets through cleaner energy sources.

The Paris Agreement calls for limiting average global temperature rise well below 2C, as close to 1.5C as possible. Pakistan´s emissions are low, but growing – what hope to see economic growth and human development with lowered emissions in the specific case of Pakistan? Concretely how do you go about reducing greenhouse gas emissions, as well as developing sustainably?

Though Pakistan is investing in clean technologies such as hydropower and solar, the government is targeting major economic growth and human development by utilising indigenous coal reserves. Agriculture is the mainstay of the national economy in Pakistan with 21% share of the GDP and accounts for 60% of exports. It provides livelihood to about 68% of the country’s population living in rural areas and employs 45% of the national labour force. After adjusting for the carbon dioxide of urea, the share of greenhouse gas emissions (CO₂ equivalent) of the agriculture sector is roughly 40% of total national emissions  Therefore, it is in Pakistan’s interest to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from this sector while sustainably increasing productivity and resilience to climate change.

Concrete measures to achieve mitigation can include adopting new cultivation methods that will result in lower methane emissions and introducing new methods of fertilisers that can reduce nitrous oxide releases from the soil.

Adapting to climate impacts and improving food security can be achieved by developing new breeds of crops with high yield, resistant to heat stress, drought tolerant, less vulnerable to heavy spells of rain, and less prone to insects and pests. There is the potential to improve crop productivity and water use by increasing the efficiency of agricultural input as well as input of irrigation water by introducing new technologies and adopting modern farming techniques.

The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) have many climate-related components, as well as a dedicated climate goal. What are some of the ways that the SDGs will influence the planning and practice of development in Pakistan in the coming years?

Climate change is a cross-cutting theme across several SDGs. In addition to having standalone targets, climate change is directly related to goals on hunger, energy, sustainable cities, biodiversity, forests, and oceans. Some of the other goals are poverty, health, economic growth, gender, and peace. This will require deep integration of climate actions across many government departments and line ministries. In fact, both the Paris agreement and the SDGs have to be co-delivered through strong policy coherence for maximum benefits with fewer resources.

I think translating the ambition and the multifaceted and intertwined SDGs agenda into a workable action plan at the national level will be a challenge. The provincial governments are showing greater interest in SDGs right from the start. They were the missing link during the MDGs period. The inclusion of several environment-related goals in SDGs is bringing greater focus on climate change. Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Sindh have already started developing their climate change policies and expressed their interest to align their new policy instruments with the SDGs.

Despite rising interest in translating SDGs into policies and plans and the better understanding of climate change issues, the technical capacity to deliver these policies will be a serious challenge.   As the SDG implementation begins to unfold in the country, the government will get a clear picture of what development pathways they should follow, what their capacities are to deliver, what sort of data architecture they need to track the progress. Such a paramount task will require governments to begin such assessments without delay. I think Pakistan requires at least three years to prepare before they start implementing SDGs.

Are there any development initiatives in Pakistan that, for you, provide perfect examples of how the country can meet the high aspirations of the Paris Agreement and the SDGs?

Both the Paris agreement and the SDGs are ambitious plans asking for a paradigm shift in the way developing countries undertake development. Both of these global development plans are very new and countries will take time to adjust to meet the aspirations of the goal goals.

There are some initiatives that the government of Pakistan has recently focused to change the energy mix with a greater focus on new hydropower dams, solar parks, bio-mass/waster-to-energy and the wind. Two initiatives worth mentioning are the Quaid-i-Azam Solar Park and Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa’s Billion Tree Tsunami projects.  Both these projects are contributing to Pakistan’s efforts to tackle climate change by avoiding and reducing carbon emissions. The Quaid-i-Azam solar project will reduce Pakistan’s present and future carbon footprint. Once completed, it aims to be the largest solar park in the world and a part of Pakistan’s policy commitment of producing, at least, 10% of its energy through renewables. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Billion Tree Tsunami is preserving and enhancing the forest resource in the province and is also sequestering carbon and building local resilience to the impacts of climate change. The project managed to capture global attention and was recognised as part of the voluntary Bonn Challenge. It was showcased at COP21 as a unique initiative — the first of its kind of a subnational entity.

The current share of non-fossil fuels is about 38.6%. This is expected to change when current hydropower, solar, the wind and other clean energy sources added to the national system by 2018. Moreover, the government has introduced tax breaks for import and production of renewable energy equipment in the budget 2015-16.

Both federal and provincial governments have started to introduce mass transit in major cities in an attempt to reduce emissions in the transport sector. Several public buildings are being switched to solar power. Pakistan’s Parliament now runs entirely on renewable energy.

Like climate change, disaster risk reduction is also cross-cutting across SDGs. The government has a functional disaster risk reduction policy and national as well as provincial disaster management authorities. Every year, the government spends sizeable income on response to disasters. The focus so far has been post-disaster emergency response and recovery. Both the SDGs and the Paris climate agreement require focusing on resilience to avoid damages to both human and ecosystems. The government has committed to develop a National Adaptation Plan (NAP) with renewed focus on resilience.

For other stories in this series, please read: After Paris – Perspectives from developing countries

Image: World Bank, Pakistan

 

[1] See http://www.dawn.com/news/1236159. According to Dawn, “The much touted US $46 billion China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) will pass through this beautiful province in the north to reach Chinese-operated Gwadar port in the country’s south. While there is hope it will transform the economy and help bridge Pakistan’s power shortfall, CPEC has also triggered concerns that the local people might be left out of the gains”.

 

 

by: CDKN Global, Ali Tauqeer Sheikh | on: 9pm, April 21, 2016

OPINION: After Paris – “Pakistan has a long way to go to get from intended to implemented” – Ali T. Sheikh

With melting glaciers of the Himalayas threatening the flows of many of its most important rivers, Pakistan has a lot at stake from climate change. The climate in Pakistan has become unpredictable. Furthermore, this country contributes less than 1% to global greenhouse gas emissions. Ali Tauqeer Sheikh, CDKN´s Asia Director, examines the challenges and prospects opened up by the Paris Agreement in Pakistan – in conversation with Miren Gutierrez. Read more from this series in After Paris – Perspectives from developing countries.

The Paris Agreement created an ambitious mandate for the global community. Does it change the national conversation in Pakistan about action on climate change? If so, how?

The Paris agreement has indeed changed both political and technical discourse in Pakistan. Newspaper articles and TV programmes have covered the climate change issue more frequently than previously. The opposition parties, particularly PTI (Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf) led by Imran Khan, has frequently questioned the lacklustre performance of the federal and Punjab governments when it comes to the environment. The federal government is now actively pursuing new policies for the forests, water and energy sectors. Climate change issues are more frequently discussed in Parliament too. In particular, increasing forest cover has become a popular issue and has generated healthy competition. To match the popularity of PTI’s Billion Tree Afforestation Project in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, the federal government launched the ‘Green Pakistan Programme’ in March 2016, whereby over 100 million trees are to be planted. Likewise, the planned coal power projects face growing opposition. This conversation revolves around using the latest and most efficient clean coal technologies, while also focusing on options such as renewables, hydropower and nuclear.

Moreover, civil society is asking for more public expenditure on climate and disaster resilience. The government has recently promised to spend Rs177.61 billion (about US$1.67 billion) on different structured and non-structured measures to implement a 10-year flood protection plan to save lives and property.

These are positive signals; however, the responses do not follow a coherent policy. I think, if prepared well, Pakistan’s INDC (Intended Nationally Determined Contribution) can help the government to deliver coordinated actions on climate change.

What will it take to get from ‘intended’ to ‘implemented’? What are the big opportunities and challenges?

The INDC submitted by Pakistan was considered the most silent of the INDC submissions, and it had neither quantified mitigation targets nor an adaptation plan. No clear pathways were outlined with regard to the reduction of carbon emissions or building resilience of people or infrastructure. The government’s excuse for submitting a one-page document was that they had an outdated baseline on which to work.

In addition to this reported reason, Pakistan wanted to account for its mega development plans under CPEC (China Pakistan Economic Corridor)[1] before it commits something to the world community. Now there is more clarity to the government on CPEC and the new greenhouse gas emissions inventory is almost complete. I think this should allow the government to re-package its INDC to be backed up with current data.

Pakistan´s INDC has a long way to go to get from intended to implemented. The one-page INDC document submitted by Pakistan does not provide any quantifiable information or clear direction that the country is to take for implementation.  The main challenge for Pakistan is to identify and calculate greenhouse gas emissions, peak emissions levels and future projections. This is the first step that must be taken before a clear path can be set for implementation.

Pakistan is among the few countries in the world where courts are taking an active interest in ensuring that the government delivers on climate change. Last year, the Punjab High Court ordered the government to fulfil their duty for both reducing greenhouse gas emissions and also the adaptation from climate change risks. The judicial activism has fast-tracked the implementation of the government action plan to deliver its National Climate Change Policy (2012).

Pakistan committed to reduce its emissions after reaching peak levels to the extent possible subject to affordability, provision of international climate finance, transfer of technology and capacity building. This sounds a bit indeterminate. How do you see this evolving?

The commitment to reduce emissions after reaching peak levels is, as mentioned above, not based on concrete data and calculations.  This commitment will evolve with efforts to calculate and project peak emissions as the first step.  However, Pakistan’s focus on developing and utilising indigenous coal resources to fuel growth that will likely result in an increase in future emissions is a hindrance to the government committing to emissions reductions.

If you check most INDCs from developing countries their emission reduction targets are subject to technology development, international climate finance and capacity building. What would happen if the means of implementation does not flow?

Indeed, many developing countries followed targets of a business-as-usual reduction type, with a majority of them having conditional targets. According to a recent LEAD study, the average of conditional targeting in Asia is around 8%, which means significant investment is needed to flow from developed countries to developing countries. Since Pakistan, so far, hasn’t provided any quantified target, it is difficult to assess what exactly would be the requirement for emission reduction. Moreover, Pakistan has not specified its climate finance and technology requirements, most countries have provided detailed needs.  For example, India has a climate finance requirement of US$ 1040 billion, 80% of which is for mitigation.

Overall, Pakistan’s Vison 2025 document is a good starting point and provides some guidance to reduce greenhouse gas emissions particularly in the energy sector which constitute about 51% of the total greenhouse gas emissions. According to our assessments, the government requires about US$ 30 billion to achieve Vision 2025 energy targets through cleaner energy sources.

The Paris Agreement calls for limiting average global temperature rise well below 2C, as close to 1.5C as possible. Pakistan´s emissions are low, but growing – what hope to see economic growth and human development with lowered emissions in the specific case of Pakistan? Concretely how do you go about reducing greenhouse gas emissions, as well as developing sustainably?

Though Pakistan is investing in clean technologies such as hydropower and solar, the government is targeting major economic growth and human development by utilising indigenous coal reserves. Agriculture is the mainstay of the national economy in Pakistan with 21% share of the GDP and accounts for 60% of exports. It provides livelihood to about 68% of the country’s population living in rural areas and employs 45% of the national labour force. After adjusting for the carbon dioxide of urea, the share of greenhouse gas emissions (CO₂ equivalent) of the agriculture sector is roughly 40% of total national emissions  Therefore, it is in Pakistan’s interest to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from this sector while sustainably increasing productivity and resilience to climate change.

Concrete measures to achieve mitigation can include adopting new cultivation methods that will result in lower methane emissions and introducing new methods of fertilisers that can reduce nitrous oxide releases from the soil.

Adapting to climate impacts and improving food security can be achieved by developing new breeds of crops with high yield, resistant to heat stress, drought tolerant, less vulnerable to heavy spells of rain, and less prone to insects and pests. There is the potential to improve crop productivity and water use by increasing the efficiency of agricultural input as well as input of irrigation water by introducing new technologies and adopting modern farming techniques.

The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) have many climate-related components, as well as a dedicated climate goal. What are some of the ways that the SDGs will influence the planning and practice of development in Pakistan in the coming years?

Climate change is a cross-cutting theme across several SDGs. In addition to having standalone targets, climate change is directly related to goals on hunger, energy, sustainable cities, biodiversity, forests, and oceans. Some of the other goals are poverty, health, economic growth, gender, and peace. This will require deep integration of climate actions across many government departments and line ministries. In fact, both the Paris agreement and the SDGs have to be co-delivered through strong policy coherence for maximum benefits with fewer resources.

I think translating the ambition and the multifaceted and intertwined SDGs agenda into a workable action plan at the national level will be a challenge. The provincial governments are showing greater interest in SDGs right from the start. They were the missing link during the MDGs period. The inclusion of several environment-related goals in SDGs is bringing greater focus on climate change. Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Sindh have already started developing their climate change policies and expressed their interest to align their new policy instruments with the SDGs.

Despite rising interest in translating SDGs into policies and plans and the better understanding of climate change issues, the technical capacity to deliver these policies will be a serious challenge.   As the SDG implementation begins to unfold in the country, the government will get a clear picture of what development pathways they should follow, what their capacities are to deliver, what sort of data architecture they need to track the progress. Such a paramount task will require governments to begin such assessments without delay. I think Pakistan requires at least three years to prepare before they start implementing SDGs.

Are there any development initiatives in Pakistan that, for you, provide perfect examples of how the country can meet the high aspirations of the Paris Agreement and the SDGs?

Both the Paris agreement and the SDGs are ambitious plans asking for a paradigm shift in the way developing countries undertake development. Both of these global development plans are very new and countries will take time to adjust to meet the aspirations of the goal goals.

There are some initiatives that the government of Pakistan has recently focused to change the energy mix with a greater focus on new hydropower dams, solar parks, bio-mass/waster-to-energy and the wind. Two initiatives worth mentioning are the Quaid-i-Azam Solar Park and Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa’s Billion Tree Tsunami projects.  Both these projects are contributing to Pakistan’s efforts to tackle climate change by avoiding and reducing carbon emissions. The Quaid-i-Azam solar project will reduce Pakistan’s present and future carbon footprint. Once completed, it aims to be the largest solar park in the world and a part of Pakistan’s policy commitment of producing, at least, 10% of its energy through renewables. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Billion Tree Tsunami is preserving and enhancing the forest resource in the province and is also sequestering carbon and building local resilience to the impacts of climate change. The project managed to capture global attention and was recognised as part of the voluntary Bonn Challenge. It was showcased at COP21 as a unique initiative — the first of its kind of a subnational entity.

The current share of non-fossil fuels is about 38.6%. This is expected to change when current hydropower, solar, the wind and other clean energy sources added to the national system by 2018. Moreover, the government has introduced tax breaks for import and production of renewable energy equipment in the budget 2015-16.

Both federal and provincial governments have started to introduce mass transit in major cities in an attempt to reduce emissions in the transport sector. Several public buildings are being switched to solar power. Pakistan’s Parliament now runs entirely on renewable energy.

Like climate change, disaster risk reduction is also cross-cutting across SDGs. The government has a functional disaster risk reduction policy and national as well as provincial disaster management authorities. Every year, the government spends sizeable income on response to disasters. The focus so far has been post-disaster emergency response and recovery. Both the SDGs and the Paris climate agreement require focusing on resilience to avoid damages to both human and ecosystems. The government has committed to develop a National Adaptation Plan (NAP) with renewed focus on resilience.

For other stories in this series, please read: After Paris – Perspectives from developing countries

Image: World Bank, Pakistan

 

[1] See http://www.dawn.com/news/1236159. According to Dawn, “The much touted US $46 billion China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) will pass through this beautiful province in the north to reach Chinese-operated Gwadar port in the country’s south. While there is hope it will transform the economy and help bridge Pakistan’s power shortfall, CPEC has also triggered concerns that the local people might be left out of the gains”.

 

 

by: CDKN Global, Ali Tauqeer Sheikh | on: 9pm, April 21, 2016

https://cdkn.org/2016/04/opinion-after-paris-pakistan-ali-t-sheikh/?loclang=en_gb

OPINION: After Paris – “Going from intended to implemented, that is the question” says Margaret Kamau, Kenya

Kenya aims to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions by 30% by 2030 relative to Business As Usual. This goal is subject to international support in the form of finance, investment, technology development and transfer, and capacity building. Margaret Kamau, CDKN´s Country Engagement and Project Manager talks to Miren Gutiérrez about what this target means for her country. This is part of a CDKN series on implementing the Paris Agreement: read more at www.cdkn.org/after-paris-perspectives

 

The Paris Agreement created an ambitious mandate for the global community. Does it change the national conversation in Kenya about action on climate change? If so, how?

Well before, for much of 2015, there has been quite a momentum in Kenya around preparations for COP21[Editor: 21^st Conference of the Parties for the UNFCCC], the INDCs [Climate plans which countries submitted to the conference] and the Paris Agreement. A number of stakeholders were quite involved in the ‘road to COP’ process. I think that this kind of momentum has carried on in 2016.

From meetings that we had this February and March, we can tell there is a bit of uncertainty about “what next” with regards to the Paris Agreement. But the Government of Kenya is taking steps to clarify this. For example, in mid-February there was a meeting on the post-Paris situation with a wide range of civil society organisations and other stakeholders, where the government was able to explain what the next steps were and what the COP21 meant.

In two weeks, there is another stakeholder consultation session, now addressed towards developing the next steps after Paris. Now we are waiting to hear what the government has planned and what they need support for. I know they are also looking at the implications for Kenya’s growth and sustainable development. So I think the main influence COP21 has had is creating momentum before, during and after the event.

UN Secretary General Ban Ki Moon visits a geothermal power facility in Kenya; courtesy UNEP.

Are these consultations with civil society and stakeholders binding in any way, has the government been gathering their feedback, or are they just informative?

They have been mainly for information purposes, not to get feedback or to pass clear information on what the next steps are. But I believe the intention of the government is that the next meeting is to be more action oriented. Kenya’s civil society has challenged the government to take action to implementing the agreement. But not openly in the media.

As for coverage, media articles and news stories on climate change tended to be published before and during COP21, with different sectoral approaches. Since the Paris conference, we haven’t seen as much. Although that is not necessarily negative…

Kenya indeed submitted an ‘Intended Nationally Determined Contribution’ (INDC). What will it take to get from ‘intended’ to ‘implemented’? What are the big opportunities and challenges?

That is the question. In terms of implementation, we believe the next step the government should take is to lay out the key priority actions in the climate action plan, and take them forward. There is the realisation that the actions contained in the INDC have been ongoing actions. So it is about accelerating investment to support implementation in those areas.

The big opportunities are first at a sectoral level. The energy sector, the forestry sector, the transport sector have all seen significant growth in the last few years. So those would be quick wins: sectors where there has been ongoing work.

In the energy sector, for example, there is already significant investment [in low carbon energy], but there is room for more. The next steps would be: identifying the actions, the key people and institutions to take those actions and accessing the finance required.

Another opportunity would be leveraging the momentum that the Paris Agreement has created to make sure that all stakeholders are aware of it, and employing this ongoing interest and buy-in for activities.

Finance presents both an opportunity and a challenge. We have different financing opportunities, such as Nationally Appropriate Mitigation Actions (NAMAs) and the Green Climate Fund (GCF), which may be accessed to implement the country’s NDC. A Kenyan entity has just been accredited as the National Management Authority to access direct funding from the GCF. These are opportunities that the government is already taking.

NAMAs are being developed for the bus rapid transit system, another one for a grid of renewable energy and waste management. A geothermal NAMA was developed and is explored in CDKN’s Inside Story on Climate Compatible Development.

In addition, there is bilateral and multilateral funding: the governments of the UK and Japan and institutions such as the World Bank are funding elements of the NDC as well.

In the finance arena, the Government of Kenya has faced hurdles in producing investment plans and proposals that actually attract funding. Here, some investment may be needed in enhancing capacity for proposal development. A current CDKN project is supporting the government to write an adaptation proposal for the GCF. We are responding to a direct government request to help them fill a gap.

Other challenges include coordination. Over the past years, I think the government has improved its coordinated approach towards climate change and development. This has been particularly evident recently during the INDC process. But coordination across government remains a challenge which they continue to address.

Skyline of Nairobi, Kenya’s capital; courtesy Jonathan Stonehouse

The Paris Agreement calls for limiting average global temperature rise well below 2C, as close to 1.5C as possible. Kenya’s emissions are not huge, but they are growing fast – what hope to see economic growth and human development with lowered emissions in the specific case of Kenya?  

Using the energy sector is a good example. We have seen a significant increase in investments in the renewable energy sector, particularly in geothermal and wind power. About 50% of Kenya´s electricity[1] comes from renewable sources, and this is a number that is increasing on a daily basis. We think that this it is not actually hampering economic growth, because before geothermal power became the focus, hydroelectric power was being produced from dams. Obviously, that meant that during the power crisis electricity was quite erratic because of the reliance on hydropower [Editor: linked to reduced rainfall and river levels – the CDKN Inside Story explains further]. So the focus on this new generation of renewables is actually supporting growth because it is a more reliable source of power and businesses now have more reliable sources of power.

In agriculture, initiatives such as the one led by COMESA (Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa) to reduce agricultural emissions across Kenya and several other African countries will help combat climate change while addressing food security, from the policy level to the farm level.

We have seen initiatives and interventions to improve forest cover and to improve forest conservation resulting in a better environment for people and the communities living around forests. And this translates to improved human development and better economic growth. So far it has not limited economic growth either.

This will continue being a trend for the next couple of years. We still have untapped solar and wind resources. We are expected to have a large 300 megawatt solar farm in the next few years, which will only reduce our reliance on fossil fuels and promote economic growth.

Technology hub, Kenya; courtesy UNDP.

If you check most INDCs from developing countries their emission reduction targets are subject to technology development, international climate finance and capacity building. What would happen if these ‘means of implementation’ do not flow? 

Countries like Kenya have taken some steps towards building internal capacity and using domestic financial national resources to put in place climate change initiatives. This is evident in some government-enabled food security projects, as well as in the setting up of research institutions, industrial research institutions, with technology development. If the means are not put forward, it is not to say that countries such as Kenya will not take action anyway. But the view is that action will be slower because obviously there are other pressing needs that the domestic budget needs to serve. It won’t be a large allocation for a long time, so this will slow the process in achieving sustainable development.

Why are some countries more successful than others in attracting international resources to support climate compatible development? Does their ability to negotiate have anything to do with it? How would you rate Kenya´s performance so far?

Definitely the ability of a country to negotiate in the international arena plays a huge role in attracting climate finance. But also, one thing that stands out looking at these countries have taken initiatives on their own. Brazil, Mexico and Morocco may have allocated domestic resources towards climate change initiatives. And this can help make a case before they go and negotiate climate finance. I believe part of making the case is showing what you can do with our own resources. I think that these have been countries that have been successful in doing this, and when they go to international arena they are not just asking for money. They are saying: this is what we have done and now we need more money to grow this pilot initiate.

Finally, Kenya not very well known for its negotiation power, but I think being part of the African Group of Negotiators has helped Kenya and fellow African countries to try to negotiate collectively. But [its influence] could be improved with further international support.

The SDGs have many climate-related components, as well as a dedicated climate goal. What are some of the ways that the SDGs will influence the planning and practice of development in Kenya in the coming years?

There has not been a lot of communication on the SDGs locally, since the New York summit last September. CDKN helped convene an SDG dialogue process in 2014 – to provide a platform for Kenyan voices in developing the goals. And what came out of this process is that Kenya would need more integrated planning, not just for key economic sectors, making integrated planning a habit if the SDGs are to be achieved. Kenya is also in the process of writing up a green economy strategy, which looks at how to maintain sustainable development while growing the economy.

 

Image: Kenya, courtesy DFID.

[1] Kenya is looking to geothermal energy to power its growth and reduce reliance on imports. As of 2015, geothermal accounted for 51% percent of Kenya’s energy mix (up from only 13% in 2010). Kenya´s also investing on wind, with Africa’s largest wind farm (310 MW) set to provide another 20% of the country´s installed electricity generating capacity. Those two combined will help Kenya generate 71% of its electricity with renewables in the future, according to CleanTechnica.

by: CDKN Global, Miren Gutierrez, Margaret Kamau | on: 12pm, March 27, 2016

https://cdkn.org/2016/03/opinion-after-paris-going-from-intended-to-implemented-that-is-the-question-says-margaret-kamau-kenya/?loclang=en_gb